Start
- Start have not won in their last five matches, drawing two and losing three.
- Start have found themselves bottom of the Eliteserien 2026 table with two points from four games.
- Start prioritising defensive solidity and pragmatic play under Azar Karadas, who took charge in February 2024.
- Start line up in a 3-5-2 or 5-3-2 and look to keep things tight, using their forwards to give their defence an extra man when out of possession and then transitioning into attack with controlled moves.
- In Haakon Lorentzen, Start have an imposing presence up top who can trouble defenders and has two of his team’s last five goals.
Molde
- Molde are a free-flowing, high-tempo team with Martin Falk’s imprint all over them.
- Molde are sixth with six points.
- Molde bounced back from consecutive losses to Viking Stavanger and Lillestrom with an emphatic 4-1 victory at home to Ham-Kam last weekend.
- Molde are set up to play wide, with fast transitions, pressing and counter-attacking.
- Their main forward is in red-hot form, with Emil Breivik scoring five of their last seven goals, making him a clear focal point of their attack.
Head-to-Head
Sunday’s clash between IK Start Kristiansand and Molde FK may not be a historic rivalry, but it is an interesting meeting of contrasting approaches to the game.
Key Players
- In Haakon Lorentzen, Start have an imposing presence up top who can trouble defenders and has two of his team’s last five goals.
- Emil Breivik has been in red-hot form for Molde, scoring five of their last seven goals.
Betting Insights
The odds on a draw - 3.59 - look good value given that both sides have shown vulnerabilities in the early games of the campaign.
Prediction
Start ’s rigid style of play should make it a close game, but Molde ’s attacking width will offer a good test of their discipline.
